According to the provincial sub-Department of crop production and plant protection, about 13,108 hectares of low-yield crops have been converted this year into more profitable varieties, including sweet potatoes, vegetables, beans, corn, peanuts, sesame, tobacco, forage grass, and fruit trees. The transformed areas largely come from drought-prone rice fields and inefficient cassava, sugarcane, cashew, pepper, coffee, and rubber plantations.
Many of these conversions have delivered impressive results. Models such as Nam My bananas planted on former rubber and cashew land now yield profits of 450–500 million VND (US$17,600–19,600) per hectare, while Japanese sweet potatoes on former rice fields generate 140–145 million VND (US$5,500–5,700) per crop.
High-tech agriculture drives export growth
Hung Son high-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company, based in An Phú ward, began converting inefficient rubber plantations to Nam My bananas for export in 2020. From an initial 200 hectares, the company now cultivates over 400 hectares under strict GlobalGAP standards in Kon Gang and Ia Băng communes.
“Our bananas are exported to China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Australia, and the Middle East,” said Nguyễn Quang Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The western region of Gia Lai has fertile land and a climate ideal for banana cultivation.”
Average annual revenue from bananas reaches 800 million VND (US$31,400) per hectare, many times higher than previous crops.
Melon farming brings stability and profit
In Ia Phí commune, farmers like Hoàng Văn Vinh have also shifted from aging coffee trees to greenhouse melon cultivation. Investing over 200 million VND (US$7,850) in modern irrigation and infrastructure, Mr. Vinh now harvests every 65-70 days, selling melons at 20,000 - 30,000 VND (US$0.78 - 1.18) per kilogram.
“Melons are short-term crops that require less labor”, Vinh said. “I can harvest four times a year, and the market is stable. My annual profit is around 200 million VND (US$7,850)”.
Sustainable farming and local innovation
Local authorities say that proactive crop diversification is not only improving farmers’ incomes but also helping to stabilize the agricultural economy.
“Leveraging land advantages, many local farmers have converted inefficient land to high-value crops like Nam My bananas and Japanese sweet potatoes”, said Nguyễn Kim Anh, Head of the Economic Office of Kon Gang commune. “Some intercropping models, such as durian or macadamia with coffee, now bring in 1-3 billion VND (US$39,000 - 118,000) per hectare annually”.
The commune is also guiding farmers to adopt GlobalGAP, Organic, and UTZ standards for key export crops like coffee, while promoting local processing to add value. “For rubber replanting areas, we encourage intercropping with short-term crops such as peanuts, passion fruit, and Japanese sweet potatoes to maximize land use efficiency”, Kim Anh added.
For the 2026-2030 period, Gia Lai province aims to continue converting 26,710 hectares of low-yield crops, including 3,790 hectares of rice, 7,660 hectares of sugarcane, 7,745 hectares of cassava, 4,020 hectares of cashew, and 3,495 hectares of other crops, towards sustainable agricultural development, climate change adaptation, and increased production value.